1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to chemical reactors.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Chemical reactors are structures for carrying out chemical reactions under controlled conditions. A chemical reactor includes a substantially closed chemical reaction chamber (CRC) where the chemical reaction occurs. A chemical reactor may also include a device for mixing different types of reactant molecules prior to injection of the reactant molecules into the CRC.
The CRC regulates reaction conditions so that the production of byproducts during the chemical reaction is controlled. By regulating the reaction conditions, a CRC often is able to control the rate of the production of particular byproducts. By regulating reaction conditions, a CRC may selectively produce a particular byproduct when several competing reaction pathways exist for different byproducts.
In many CRCs, either a heater or a spark generator initiates the chemical reaction. Heaters and spark generators provide some control over chemical reaction rates, but typically provide less control over selection of reaction pathway when several pathways compete for the available reactant molecules.